Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Media coverage of Sharon Keller protest

Outside the Austin home of a powerful state judge, protestors showed up this Tuesday evening to file an unusual appeal.

Scott Cobb, protestor: "She should be removed from office."

They are pleading for the ouster of Judge Sharon Keller, who presides over the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Last month, as convicted murderer Michael Richard was headed to the execution chamber, his attorneys filed a last minute appeal asking Keller's court to hold off on the execution while the Supreme Court considers the whole issue of lethal injection.

As the story goes, their paperwork was delayed by a problematic printer, and when they asked for more time, the judge reportedly told them the Court of Appeals closes at 5. Hours later, Richard was put to death.

Cobb: "They had a little technical snafu and it shouldn't have impacted whether this person lived or died."

So demonstrators are determined to literally bring home the message that they want Keller out. But staking out her house, one neighbor says, is a little extreme no matter how impassioned they are about their cause.

Outside the Austin home of a powerful state judge, protestors showed up this Tuesday evening to file an unusual appeal.

Scott Cobb, protestor: "She should be removed from office."

They are pleading for the ouster of Judge Sharon Keller, who presides over the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Last month, as convicted murderer Michael Richard was headed to the execution chamber, his attorneys filed a last minute appeal asking Keller's court to hold off on the execution while the Supreme Court considers the whole issue of lethal injection.

As the story goes, their paperwork was delayed by a problematic printer, and when they asked for more time, the judge reportedly told them the Court of Appeals closes at 5. Hours later, Richard was put to death.

Cobb: "They had a little technical snafu and it shouldn't have impacted whether this person lived or died."

So demonstrators are determined to literally bring home the message that they want Keller out. But staking out her house, one neighbor says, is a little extreme no matter how impassioned they are about their cause.